


A Single Voice Above the Noise

by coldheartscoldersongs



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, High School AU, Love Confessions, Meddling Friends, Pining, Texting, choir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 21:12:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8549281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldheartscoldersongs/pseuds/coldheartscoldersongs
Summary: Pam, Erin, Jim, and Andy have been best friends since middle school. Pam has been in love with Jim since freshman year. After much pedaling by Erin, she decides to finally ask him out.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm halfway through season 9 of the office and I guess this is my way of coping with the fact that I'm not ready for it to be over. I'm Jim/Pam trash and choir trash, so why not combine the two? This is my first fic for the office, so enjoy.

Pam had been in choir as long as it had been offered. She loved singing in choir; it wasn’t as scary as singing a solo but she still got to do what made her happy. She sang alto 1 in her high school’s chorale. Her best friends Erin (soprano 2), Andy (tenor 2), and Jim (bass 1) were also in chorale. They were all juniors now. The four of them had met back in seventh grade when they were in middle school choir. Singing meant everything to them.

 

As the second period bell rang, Pam saw Jim fly into the choir room just in time. Their choir director, Ms. Powell, gave him a look.

 

“You know how I feel about punctuality, Jim.”

 

“Sorry Ms. Powell. It won’t happen again.” He made eye contact with Pam and smiled at her. Pam’s heart fluttered. She had been in love with Jim since freshman year and was too scared to tell him. She knew he didn’t feel the same way; she was his best friend. Ruining their friendship would be even worse than getting rejected by him.

 

The only person who knew was Erin. She had been Pam’s shoulder to cry on throughout high school. Erin was a saint in Pam’s eyes.

 

After warming up around the piano, Ms. Powell told the choir to take out “Baba Yetu”. Excited chatter went through the room. It was a favorite piece and they would be singing it at a choral competition in the spring. 

 

Powell worked that piece for the entire period, focusing on the sopranos and basses, who had split parts. In a flurry of harmonies and wrong notes, the bell rang.

 

Pam, Andy, Erin, and Jim grouped together to walk to their next classes.

 

“Being a soprano two is a pain,” Erin said. “They just wanna sing whatever the soprano ones are singing.”

 

“The bass section stresses me out,” Jim said. “Half of them can’t even hit the low notes.”

 

Pam and Andy sighed. The altos and tenors usually stuck together because there was never enough of them in numbers.

 

“At you guys can be heard,” Pam told them. “No director’s ever asked for less alto.”

 

“Or tenor,” Andy added. “Some of these guys need a kick in the balls for the high notes.”

 

Once they were in the main hallway, they said their goodbyes to go to their respective classes. Pam’s phone buzzed with a text from Erin.

 

Erin: How are we feeling about Jim today?

 

Pam: Same as ever. He’s so cute I wanna die.

 

Erin: You could always ask him out.

 

Pam: We’ve been over this Erin.

 

Erin: I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He wouldn’t say no.

 

Pam: Whatever. 

 

Pam shut off her phone to focus on Honors Spanish. She hated the class, but it was an easy A. She half listened to the teacher drone on for forty five minutes while she thought about what Erin had said. Did Jim like her? She couldn’t ask Andy because he was never very observant of these things. The only way to know was to ask Jim.

 

When third period was over, she texted Erin.

 

Pam: I’m gonna do it.

 

Erin: YES PAM

 

Her response was littered with emojis. Now that Erin knew her plan, all Pam had to do was hype herself. Easy, right?

 

-

 

The rest of the week flew by in chorale rehearsals, homework, and an unfortunate physics test. On Friday after lunch, Pam caught Jim right before class. 

 

“Do you wanna go to the diner after school?” She asked. 

 

“Sure,” Jim said. “Are Andy and Erin in?”

 

“They can’t come, so it’s just us.”

 

“Can’t wait, Beesly.”

 

“Awesome, See ya.”

 

“See ya.”

 

-

 

Pam spent her afternoon classes obsessing over what would happen at the diner. Things would either go perfectly or she could never look Jim in the eye. When the final bell rang, she slung her backpack and went to her locker to get her jacket and chorale folder. When she had everything she needed, she walked down the hall to Jim’s locker, where he was still rummaging through his stuff.

 

He turned his head and his face lit up when he saw her. “Beesly! Ready to go?”

 

“Only if you are, Halpert.” She quipped back. God, she hoped this would work. She couldn’t lose Jim.

 

The diner was a five minute walk from Scranton High School. They talked about how much of a hardass their physics teacher was.

 

“I swear to God he thinks we’re all gonna be engineers,” Jim groaned. “When I’m in college I’m gonna major in business administration.”

 

“I think I’d like to go to art school,” Pam said.

 

“You should try, Pam. Your drawings are so good.”

 

She blushed. “Thanks.” They went through the big glass doors of the diner. A hostess led them to a booth and gave them menus.

 

“I think I’m just gonna get cheese fries and a Coke,” Pam said.

 

“That cheeseburger is calling my name,” Jim replied. “It’s been a long week.”

 

She nodded. “It has.” Once a waiter took their orders, Pam mustered her courage.  
“It’s nice hanging out one on one with you. Obviously I love Andy and Erin, but it’s nice.”

 

“I’ll second that.”

 

“Jim?”

 

“Yeah?” His eyes were so pretty. Pam could feel herself freezing.

 

“Um, do you wanna make this a regular thing?”

 

Jim furrowed his eyebrows. “Us coming to the diner?”

 

“No, not that. Like maybe us going places on, like, dates?” This was the most humiliating moment of her life. Jim would reject her any second.

 

“You want us to go on dates?”

 

She hung her head in embarrassment. “Yeah.”

 

Jim let out a breath. “Oh my God, I was so scared I was gonna have to ask you.”

 

Pam’s head snapped up to eye level. “What?”

 

“I like you, Pam. I was trying to ask Andy if I should ask you out.”

 

She laughed. “Erin’s been trying to get me to ask you out for years!”

 

“Years? How long have you liked me?”

 

Pam could feel her face getting red again. “Since freshman year.”

 

“Two years? Pam, we could have been dating for two years by now.”

 

“Oh my God.” Pam’s heart was beating out of control. This was really happening. 

 

“Listen,” Jim said carefully. “I really wanna kiss you right now. Is that okay?”

 

“Yeah, I-yeah.”

 

He smiled and came over to her side of the table. He took her hand and kissed her. Their lips were barely touching, but it was the best moment of Pam’s life.

 

When they pulled away, both of their faces were flushed with happiness. 

 

“I’ll walk you home,” Jim said. 

 

“I’d love that.” They paid for their food and walked to Pam’s house. 

 

“Should we tell Andy and Erin?” She asked Jim.

 

“I think we owe it to them. They’ve spent our entire high school careers trying to push the two of us together. I’ll open up the group chat.” Their group chat was called Choir Nerds(™). 

 

Jim: Andy and Erin check your phones

 

Erin: What?

 

Andy: Bro

 

Pam: Jim and I are dating now! :D

 

Andy: HOLY FUCK

 

Erin: OH MY GOD

 

Erin: Tell me everything

 

Andy: Did you finally grow a pair Halpert

 

Jim: Pam asked me

 

Erin: Andy you owe me $10

 

Andy: rip

 

Pam: What

 

Jim: Did you guys have a bet on who would ask out who  
Andy: No

 

Erin: Sorry

 

Pam laughed. “It is what it is,” she said aloud. Jim rolled his eyes and kissed her for the second time that day. Junior year was shaping up to be a good one.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/constructive criticism are appreciated!


End file.
